About Dance/Movement Therapy
What is Dance/Movement Therapy?
Movement is our first language. It is the dance of life. Dance and movement both express and affect how we feel. Movement has the power to open neuro-pathways to and from the brain, influencing growth and development through all stages of life. This connection of body and mind is the basis of dance/movement therapy (DMT), an innovative form of psychotherapy. Dance/movement therapy works with the whole person integrating movement, creative process, and verbal communication. It has the potential to access emotions and issues that may be inaccessible in verbal therapy. In DMT, movement is used as a vehicle for self-expression, insight, and behavioral change in an affirming, non-judgmental environment. It is an effective treatment for people with psychological, social, developmental, neurological, and physical challenges. As a vehicle for self-growth and actualization, DMT is a creative, expressive, and profound process for anyone working toward overall well-being. As a mind-body approach, dance/movement therapy can also be integrated into health and wellness education, facilitating self-care, socialization, creativity and empowerment.
Registered and Board Certified dance/movement therapists have completed a master’s degree in a program approved by the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA). This training includes the study of movement in relationship to emotional, developmental, and cognitive development, and of psychology, anatomy, kinesiology, and neurology. Board Certified dance/movement therapists (BC-DMT) must continue to meet the requirements of registry, which include training and high standards of ethical behavior set by the ADTA. The ADTA was formed in 1966 and is a member of the National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies. Dance/movement therapists’ training provides them with the capacity and creative flexibility to work with many populations.
For over 50 years, Dance/Movement Therapists have pioneered the understanding of how body and mind interact in health and in illness. Whether the issue is the will to live, a search for meaning or motility, or the ability to feel love for life, Dance/Movement Therapists mobilize resources from that place within the self where body and mind are one.
About Dance/Movement Therapy
"What is Dance/Movement Therapy?" (ADTA)
FAQs (ADTA)
Videos
A Collection of Dance/Movement Therapy Videos
Bibliography
Other Websites and Organizations
Dance/Movement Therapy and Community Links and Resources
Dance/Movement Therapy Promotes:
- A healthy relationship between body and mind
- Positive self-esteem and body awareness
- Emotional expression and stability
- Innovative problem solving, creativity and playfulness
- Enhanced communication skills and healthy relationships
- Focus and attention
- Gross and fine motor skill development